Shane Carwin rep clarifies no-drug-test situation following UFC 131

http://mmajunkie.comThe decision not to test Shane Carwin for prohibited substances at UFC 131 came from a group affiliated with the local commission that conducted the tests, a representative for the former UFC interim heavyweight champ said today.

Carwin manager Jason Genet confirmed to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that following the fight, Carwin offered to submit a urine sample for testing – but immediate medical concerns prompted officials to forgo the test.

Carwin, who suffered a decision loss to Junior Dos Santos in the June 11 pay-per-view event’s headliner, was among six athletes selected for drug testing following UFC 131, according to test results released Tuesday by the Vancouver Athletic Commission.

However, the results clarified that the commission “unilaterally exercised its discretion to rescind its selection” of the heavyweight. (The remaining five athletes tested clean.)

“In making such a determination, in its absolute discretion, the VAC seeks to balance the guiding values of ‘fairness’ and ‘fighter safety,'” the release stated.

The statement led to speculation as to why Carwin, a fighter who this past August was linked to a case involving an Alabama man convicted of selling steroids to doctors and clinics around the country, was not tested. (Carwin, who has never tested positive for performance-enhancers in his pro career, has declined to comment on the link.)

According to Genet, Carwin was escorted backstage following his loss to an area where drug testing was being conducted. The decision not to test him was made there by a group identified by the VAC as the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES), which was contracted to conduct drug tests at the event.

“As you’re waiting for testing, there’s also medical personnel there for any injured fighters because fighter safety is always paramount, especially at UFC events,” Genet said. “So, the paramedics were attending to Shane at the same time [the CCES] was getting ready.”

“There was just a little bit of downtime. And at the same time, Shane’s injuries – the lacerations and the head-swelling – were increasing. So the doctor told the testing committee, ‘You either need to test him now or send a tester with us to the hospital because he needs to go. He needs to see an emergency physician right away.’

“So Shane said, basically, ‘Just give me what you’ve got, and I’ll give you what I’ve got right now. Let’s just do it right here, right now.’ [The CCES] huddled among themselves to decide whether they would send somebody with Shane to the hospital, and opted not to. “They were like, ‘No, you need to stay lying down and get to the hospital.'”

After Carwin was taken by ambulance to the hospital, his blood may immediately have been drawn, Genet said, but painkillers were administered shortly afterward to help the fighter cope with the significant injuries he incurred during the fight.

“But one thing to note is this is the first UFC fight that he’s never been tested at,” Genet said. “Prior to this, whether he was on the preliminary card or the main event, he’s always been tested and 100 percent clean.”

Genet said he didn’t learn about the chain of events following UFC 131 until he read about the VAC’s release online, but afterward clarified the situation with Carwin.

The onetime UFC interim heavyweight champion currently is recovering from his injuries in his hometown of Denver. He suffered a broken nose in the fight and initially suspected a broken orbital bone.

With performance-enhancers a hot topic in the MMA community right now, Genet believes the VAC’s omission was blown out of proportion.

“I think it’s a no-issue if the Nate Marquardt (situation) didn’t pop up,” Genet said about the former UFC fighter’s recent admission about using prescribed testosterone. “People probably wouldn’t blink about it too much. But the way they singled him out and said five (tested) but six were requested – well, they requested him, he accepted it, and they didn’t do it.

“That’s not on him. That’s their responsibility.”

For more on UFC 131, including the night’s official results, check out the UFC Events section of MMAjunkie.com.

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